National Security Threats Too Great

The following guest post by James Marvin, Director of Field Operations and Business Development at Hydrovolts was previously published in the National Journal's Expert Blogs on Energy & The Environment. James spent 20 years as a Navy SEAL and has seen first-hand the casualties of our oil addiction.

National Security Threats Too Great
by James Marvin

The United States has to pass comprehensive climate and energy legislation. The longer we wait, the more difficult it will become to address the issue. Whether the American Power Act will carry the day, or some other legislation already introduced, remains to be seen. Doing nothing though, is not an acceptable answer and whatever the solution turns out to be it has to be pragmatic and it has to be timely.


Where you stand is where you sit and from where I sit our country’s dependence on foreign oil is a national security issue. It is costing American lives and one could say it is costing America itself. Comprehensive energy and climate legislation, no matter whose it is, is where we have to go as a nation. It will provide incentives for new energy solutions. It will put a price on pollution. It will address existing energy technologies appropriately. It will keep dollars out of the hands of extremest groups, and it will help keep America safe.

What our country needs now, and what the world needs in terms of leadership, is legislation that addresses energy and climate change holistically. Lasting change is going to take time and will require patience, persistence, and perseverance. But it has to start now. The longer it takes to address the issue, the more difficult the solution is going to be.

In the end, comprehensive energy and climate legislation will have to be an amalgamation of disproportionate ideas, values, and solutions. The juggernauts will have to willingly embrace a new identity and it is everyone’s responsibility to help them transform.